CHAPTER 4
Jake finally found his feet and raced up the stairs after her. He opened the door and jumped off the small platform, ignoring the ladder he was supposed to use. Emma's bedroom was their old attic, the only room not on the ground floor. The top of the stairs was maybe about three feet above the rest of her room and there was an old wooden ladder to help Emma get up and down. A platform at the same level as the landing ran round half the room, creating as it were a stage where the old oak desk and chair sat, next to the dusty old bookcase, filled mainly with school books, picture books and fairy stories that she had left there. Below there was the bed, just a jump away from the platform. Like the rest of her furniture, the dusty old wardrobe was made of oak too and it sat over the far side of her room. A dresser with a sink at the end and a mirror sat opposite the bed, under the two small windows, to high to reach.
In case of emergencies, there was a trapdoor under the rug and a ladder she could let down into her parent's bedroom. Well, Jake's bedroom now. Jake had designed it himself. It was ideal; it supplied an emergency exit for her if there was an accident but meant that she couldn't sneak out the house without him noticing.
Emma was lying face down on her bed, wanting to cry but too angry to let the tears fall. Angry with Jake; with Melanie; with herself even. Jake coughed and Emma looked round, realising she wasn't the only person angry with her.
"Don't you dare speak to your momma like that."
"Go 'way." She replied, burying her head in her pillow.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."
Emma sat up, furious, but not as mad as her father.
"Leave me alone." She had meant it to sound threatening and angry but it came out as weak and frightened.
"None of your cheek. You're in enough trouble as it is. You understand me, girl?"
"Oh get lost you stupid……" She broke off as she saw him finger the thick leather belt he wore, contemplating what to do with it. He wouldn't hit her with it, surely? He had spanked her when she was little for misbehaving but never with a belt. Melanie disagreed with it; she had never lifted a finger to her daughter. "And much good it did her" Jake thought, sarcastically. Melanie had spoiled her and doted on her, never disciplining her and the years without a father around had let Emma slip; she was rude and wild and unruly and didn't seem to care.
Jake was livid- he still loved Melanie and hated to see her cry. He stared at the girl on the bed; the girl who had hurt his wife and expected to hate her but he didn't. He loved her, and, angry as he was, he couldn't bring himself to take off the belt. He let go and clenched his fists. Feeling soft made him feel weak however and feeling weak made him all the more angrier, so he pulled the child up, sat on the bed and put her over his knee. She squirmed, embarrassed and angry but didn't speak, feeling relieved that he wasn't taking his belt to her.
"You understand why I have to do this, don't you?" She nodded. Feeling like he was punishing a five year old again, Jake spanked her then sat her up. Tears were running down her cheeks and Jake suddenly felt very sorry for her. He put his arm round her and watched her snuggle into his shoulder. They sat quietly together for a moment, the silence only broken by Emma's sobs and the sniffles of Melanie from downstairs. In his fury, Jake had forgotten that Melanie was downstairs. He sighed then looked at his watch.
"I need to go down and see your momma, all right? It's getting late so go through your stuff and get ready for bed. I'll be back in a bit." Emma nodded, sniffed and slid off his lap. He stood up, pushed himself up onto the landing and turned to go.
"Oh, Emma?"
She looked round.
"You know I love you, yeah?"
She wiped her eyes and nodded again. He grinned and headed down stairs, closing the door behind him.
Jake finally found his feet and raced up the stairs after her. He opened the door and jumped off the small platform, ignoring the ladder he was supposed to use. Emma's bedroom was their old attic, the only room not on the ground floor. The top of the stairs was maybe about three feet above the rest of her room and there was an old wooden ladder to help Emma get up and down. A platform at the same level as the landing ran round half the room, creating as it were a stage where the old oak desk and chair sat, next to the dusty old bookcase, filled mainly with school books, picture books and fairy stories that she had left there. Below there was the bed, just a jump away from the platform. Like the rest of her furniture, the dusty old wardrobe was made of oak too and it sat over the far side of her room. A dresser with a sink at the end and a mirror sat opposite the bed, under the two small windows, to high to reach.
In case of emergencies, there was a trapdoor under the rug and a ladder she could let down into her parent's bedroom. Well, Jake's bedroom now. Jake had designed it himself. It was ideal; it supplied an emergency exit for her if there was an accident but meant that she couldn't sneak out the house without him noticing.
Emma was lying face down on her bed, wanting to cry but too angry to let the tears fall. Angry with Jake; with Melanie; with herself even. Jake coughed and Emma looked round, realising she wasn't the only person angry with her.
"Don't you dare speak to your momma like that."
"Go 'way." She replied, burying her head in her pillow.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."
Emma sat up, furious, but not as mad as her father.
"Leave me alone." She had meant it to sound threatening and angry but it came out as weak and frightened.
"None of your cheek. You're in enough trouble as it is. You understand me, girl?"
"Oh get lost you stupid……" She broke off as she saw him finger the thick leather belt he wore, contemplating what to do with it. He wouldn't hit her with it, surely? He had spanked her when she was little for misbehaving but never with a belt. Melanie disagreed with it; she had never lifted a finger to her daughter. "And much good it did her" Jake thought, sarcastically. Melanie had spoiled her and doted on her, never disciplining her and the years without a father around had let Emma slip; she was rude and wild and unruly and didn't seem to care.
Jake was livid- he still loved Melanie and hated to see her cry. He stared at the girl on the bed; the girl who had hurt his wife and expected to hate her but he didn't. He loved her, and, angry as he was, he couldn't bring himself to take off the belt. He let go and clenched his fists. Feeling soft made him feel weak however and feeling weak made him all the more angrier, so he pulled the child up, sat on the bed and put her over his knee. She squirmed, embarrassed and angry but didn't speak, feeling relieved that he wasn't taking his belt to her.
"You understand why I have to do this, don't you?" She nodded. Feeling like he was punishing a five year old again, Jake spanked her then sat her up. Tears were running down her cheeks and Jake suddenly felt very sorry for her. He put his arm round her and watched her snuggle into his shoulder. They sat quietly together for a moment, the silence only broken by Emma's sobs and the sniffles of Melanie from downstairs. In his fury, Jake had forgotten that Melanie was downstairs. He sighed then looked at his watch.
"I need to go down and see your momma, all right? It's getting late so go through your stuff and get ready for bed. I'll be back in a bit." Emma nodded, sniffed and slid off his lap. He stood up, pushed himself up onto the landing and turned to go.
"Oh, Emma?"
She looked round.
"You know I love you, yeah?"
She wiped her eyes and nodded again. He grinned and headed down stairs, closing the door behind him.